Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles face a difficult task to keep their qualification hopes for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games alive after suffering a 2-0 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first leg of their second-round qualifying tie in Lubumbashi on Friday.
The result leaves Nigeria with a two-goal deficit to overturn in Tuesday’s return fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, where the team must deliver a significantly improved performance to remain in contention.
DR Congo took the lead in the 15th minute through a controversial goal involving Nigerian goalkeeper Samuel James. The decision sparked protests from the Nigerian players, who disputed the officials’ ruling that the ball had crossed the goal line.
The hosts extended their advantage in the 35th minute when Filozofe Mabete converted a free-kick, leaving the Olympic Eagles with a challenging assignment before the break.
Nigeria’s difficulties were compounded by an injury to Brighton youngster Zadok Yohanna, who was forced off in the 30th minute, disrupting the team’s attacking plans.
Despite efforts to respond, the Olympic Eagles struggled to break down the Congolese defence after the interval and returned home without an away goal.
Ikenne Test Looms for Olympic Eagles
The defeat puts Nigeria under considerable pressure ahead of Tuesday’s return leg, with the Olympic Eagles needing to overturn the two-goal deficit to secure progression to the next qualifying round.
The technical crew, led by assistants Deniran Ortega and Bright Ozebagbe, will now have to address the team’s shortcomings in Lubumbashi and prepare a more convincing response on home soil.
Head coach Éric Chelle was unavailable for the first leg as he remained with the senior Super Eagles for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying engagement against Tanzania in Uyo.
DR Congo reached this stage after eliminating Mauritania 2-1 on aggregate, demonstrating their resilience in the previous round.
Olympic Qualification Stakes
The qualifying campaign carries significant importance for Nigeria, who are seeking a return to the men’s football tournament at the Olympic Games after missing the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 editions.
The 2027 Africa U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt will serve as the continental qualifying tournament for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Nigeria have a distinguished Olympic football history, winning gold at Atlanta 1996, silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio 2016.
However, their recent absence from the competition underlines the importance of the ongoing qualification campaign.
With DR Congo holding a two-goal advantage, the Olympic Eagles must produce a strong response in Ikenne on Tuesday to keep their Los Angeles 2028 ambitions on course.
